Wawa officially opens its first store in Ohio: ‘Overjoyed at warm welcome’

Wawa has opened up shop in Ohio.

The popular convenience store chain’s first location in the Buckeye State held its grand opening on Wednesday morning in Liberty Township, not far from Cincinnati. 

The grand opening event, which took place on Wawa’s 61st anniversary, involved announcements of grants to local “community partners,” a “Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building contest” and a ribbon-cutting, according to Wawa. 

The new Liberty Township store paves the way for Wawa’s entry into the Midwest and adds yet another state to the company’s footprint.

It is the “first of nine Wawa stores slated to open in Ohio by year’s end,” Wawa said.

“We’re thrilled to fly into Ohio and bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience, and service to new friends and neighbors in the Buckeye State,” Wawa President Brian Schaller said.

“This historic milestone kicks off the next chapter of our growth in the Midwest, and we are overjoyed at the warm welcome we continue to receive from so many communities we’re now proud to count as part of the Wawa flock.”

Wawa estimated that some 2,000 long-term new jobs will arise out of its overall planned expansion in the Buckeye State. 

The convenience store is looking to open 45 to 55 stores in Ohio within the decade, with a pace of openings at four to 10 new stores each year, Wawa said. 

Each of the stores will require an investment of over $7.5 million on Wawa’s part, the company said.

Wawa, which has been expanding rapidly in recent years, currently operates over 1,100 locations across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Washington, D.C. – and, as of Wednesday, Ohio, its 10th state.

It notched its ninth state in November with a store in Bainbridge, Georgia. 

Kentucky and Indiana are also getting their first Wawa locations this year, with the former slated to see nine open and the latter to receive 10, according to recent press releases from the company. 

The company plans to bring its convenience stores to Tennessee and West Virginia in the future.

In October, Wawa placed No. 1 on the American Consumer Satisfaction Index’s ranking of convenience store chains. It notched a score of 82 out of 100. 

That helped it come out on top of chains like QuikTrip, Buc-ee’s and Murphy USA, which ranked No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, according to the ACSI.